Muscle elasticity: blood flow, strong muscles, tight
muscles
Massage can help improve blood flow that has become sluggish due to a
stall-kept horse's lack of movement, or to muscles that are tensed.
Massage can also help the horse who is very fit, but resultingly is
stiff and tight. Both improved blood flow and stretching/relieving
tension in tight muscles will increase a horse's muscle elasticity; this
will improve the horse's flexibility and his ability to extend. Better
muscle elasticity also can help prevent muscle and tendon injuries. An
inelastic, taut muscle is more likely to tear than one with stretch and
give.
Fatigue, strength-building, injury
When a horse is fatigued, injured or lame, he carries his weight
differently to compensate. A horse in training may be worked to the
point of fatigue to build strength and endurance; he may spend part of
the session using a less-suitable muscle group to alleviate the fatigue
in the muscles that are working. Massage can help relieve muscles that
are forced to work harder in compensation. When the horse has healed
from an injury, massage can also help stimulate the disused muscles as
they are bought back into work.
Anxious or spooky horse
Massage can help relax tension in muscles of a horse who is often
anxious, spooky, or tense under saddle. Sometimes a very willing horse
can develop some tension due to his depth of concentration. (Do you
clench your jaw when you concentrate? Your horse might, too). A spooky
horse may tense himself when startled, and build up tension with
repeated spooking. Such tension in the neck, back and jaw can lead to
headaches and resistance under saddle.
Post-trailering
In a trailer ride, a horse must constantly shift to stay in place (have
you ever ridden a bus or subway while standing upright?) If you want
your horse to be in top shape when you travel to a competition, you may
wish to consider a post-trailering or pre-event massage for him.
Pre-event/Post-event
At a competition, a pre-event massage can stimulate circulation, help
soothe him to calmness, or spark him to alertness--be sure to tell the
ESMT which you'd prefer! A post-event massage can flush fatigue from the
muscles, comfort highly stressed muscles, and help the horse recover
from his effort.